Protecting wells



(No Model.)

s. McEACHEN.

PROTEGTING WELLS Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

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SAMUEL MOEAOHEN, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROTECTING WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,439, dated September 15, 1885.

Application filed August 11, 1885. (No model.)

I0 all whom it army concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MOEAOHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Scranton, Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Protecting Wells, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to prevent the contamination of water obtained from wells in localities where the strata from which good water is derived are overlaid with strata containing sulphur -water, a further object being to protect from the deteriorating or de' structive influences of the sulphurwrater wire ropes, pipes, 810., contained in a bore passing through the upper strata. These objects I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, the figure in which is a sectional diagram illustrating my invention.

In numerous localities-sucl1, for instance, as the anthracite-coal regions of the State of Pennsylvania the strata from which good water can be obtained are overlaid with coal measures and other strata in which sulphur- Water is present. Hence good water cannot be obtained from wells in such localities, owing to the fact that the wells are contaminated by sulphur-water flowing into the same from the upper strata, and this defect cannot be remedied by the usual plan of easing or piping the upper portion of the well,for the sulphur-water is such as to rapidly destroy such casing, and when wire ropes, pipes, &c., are contained in bores passing through such upper strata they rapidly deteriorate, and are in a short time destroyed. In carrying out my invention, therefore, I preferably enlarge the bore of all that portion of the well which is within the upper strata containing sulphur-water, this enlarged bore containing a pipe, a, which forms a continuation of the main bore 1) of the well in the lower strata, and I fill the space between said pipe and the bore of the well with hydraulig or other cement ql, this cement be ing impeFne'ableto the sulphur-water, and therefore forming an effectual shield or guard,

whereby the access of the sulphurwater to the pipe to is cut off said pipe prevented.

If desired, the bore of the well may be uni form throughout, and the pipe to may be less in diameter than the bore, so as to provide a space around the same for the reception of cement, the joint at the lower end of the pipe being formed by expanding the same, or by means of a seed-bag or other well-known device for the purpose.

I claim as my invention- 1. The mode herein described of preventing the access of snlphurwater to bores passing through strata containing such water, said mode consisting in providing the bore with a pipe or casing less in diameter than the bore, and filling the space between said pipe or casing and the bore with cement impermeable to sulphur-water, as set forth.

2. The mode herein described of preventing the contamination of wells passing through coal measures or other strata containing sulphur-water, said mode consisting inproviding that portion of the bore which is within said and the destruction of sulphur-water strata with a pipe or casing less in diameter than the bore, and filling the space between said pipe or casing and the bore with cement impermeable to sulphurwater. all substantially as specified.

3. The mode herein described. of preventing the contamination of wells passing through coal measures or other strata containing sulphur-water, said mode consisting in enlarging the bore of that portion of the well passing through said strata, inserting a pipe forming a continuation of the main bore, and filling the space between said pipe and the enlarged bore with cement impermeable to sulphur-water, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAML. McEACHEN.

WVitnesses:

J. M. Poona, E. F. BOYLE. 

